Ore separator



A. H. CONNORS.

ORE SEPARATOR. APPLICATION FILED JAN. 15. 1920.

Patented Feb. 21,1922

g necnl'cz Arm/N2 Con/2on5 UNITED ATENT FFICE.

ARTHUR H. CONNORS, 0F MULLAN, IDAHO.

ORE SEPARATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Feb, 21, 1922.

Application filedlanuary 15, 1920. Serial No. 351,844.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ARTHUR H. CONNORS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Mullah, in Shoshone County and the State of Idaho, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Ore Separators, of which the following is a specification.

My present invention relates to improvements in ore separators of the buoyant or over the bubbles, and the mineral particles adhering to these strengthened bubbles are carried by gravity to the surface of the pulp and floated to launders at the sides of the cell, the tailings or rocky gangue being disposed of from the bottom of the cell through the instrumentality of an automatically operated outlet device controlled by the rising and falling of a buoyant support on the surface of the pulp contained in the cell. The invention relates particularly to improved devices for the introduction of the pulp to the agitation chamber or cell, and involves also improved means for introducing the air under pressure to the pulp in order that it may be uniformly distributed throughout the mass in the cell, and in certain other novel combinations and arrangements of parts as hereinafter specified and claimed.

In the accompanying drawings I have illustrated one complete embodiment of the invention, wherein the parts are combined and arranged according to the best mode I have so far devised for the practical application of the principles of my invention, and it will be understood that I contemplate colorable changes and alterations of the apparatus, which is a mere exempliiication of the physical embodiment of the invention,

within the scopeof my claims without de- I parting from the spirit of the invention.

Figure 1 is a longitudinal, vertlcal, central sectional view of a cell or unit that may be used as an integer or may form one of a series of similar cells. embodying the invention. I

Figure 2 is a transverse, sectional view of the apparatus on. line 2-2 of Figure 1 and" looking in the direction of the arrows.

In the preferred form of the invention as illustrated in the drawingsI utilize a box or cell of suitable material, rectangular in shape and' having verticalside walls 2, 2, that are cut away at 3, 3 to form spillways into the lateral or side lau tlders 4, at erected at the sides of the Cell and of which the side walls form a part, and the launders are designed to receive, by flotation, the mineral particles from the agitation or separating chamber of the cell.

At the front or forward end of the cell the .pulp is supplied from the pulp conducting spout 5 anddeposited in the pulp receiving hopper 6 erected above the top of the cell and from which the pulp may pass to the receiving chamber 7 in the front end of the cell,

the rear wall of which is fashioned by the transversely disposed foraminous screen or apron 8 attached to theside walls of the cell and disposed obliquely or in inclined position beneath the feed hopper 6. The screen serves the function of eliminating splash as the pulpdrops into the receiving chamber and also directs the pulp toward the front end of the cell, thus preventing its too rapid flow-toward the outlet or tail end of the cell.

Adjacent the hopper, an oil tank 9 is provided from which the oil contents may run through the curved outlet pipelO controlled by the regulating valve 11 in the pipe, andv as will be apparent the oil is directed into the incoming or inflowing pulp, above the water line of the cell in order that the oil may thoroughly permeate and be distributed with the mass of ore in the cell. The oil is introduced for the purpose of strengthening the air bubbles that are produced at. the bottom of the cell and rise to the surface of the pulp carrying with them the adhering mineral particles, and the oil which'forms a film or coating around the bubbles also enhances the ability of the bubbles to'retain and carry the mineral particles. The bubble producing agent in this instance is air under pressure obtained from a tributing and separatin suitable source through the main line or pipe 12, from which run numerous branches 13, arranged horizontally and transversely below the bottom of the cell and spaced at regular and suitable intervals throughout the length of the cell. The supporting stru ture for the cell is not illustrated, but it well be understood that suitable supports are provided for the cell structure, and succeeding units or cells when such are utilized are also properly supported below the pictured cell.

The passage of air under pressure through the branch pipes is controlled and regulated by suitable valves 14 and the air currents and pressure may be varied thereby in the diflerent pipes and as required. Preferably each branch pipe is provided with a pair of vertically arranged or perpendicular nozzles projecting the required distance up through the bottom of the cell and terminating at a predetermined altitude, and suitablyspaced on transverse lines to uniformly distribute the air, currents so that they will ascend through the pulp in the cell and permeate the entire mass thereof.

as a protection for the mouths of the nozzles and for the purpose of further disthe bubbles arising from the nozzles, equip them with hoods 16 of suitable material and having a cross sectional shape of an inverted V the ends of the hoods also converging upwardly in order that the hoods may shed the gangue or rocky material as it sinks to the bottom of the cell. The hoods are elevated above the bottom a sufficient distance to avoid ohbars 18 18 beneath which the hoods are so cured at their apices, the bars extending the length of the cell and'supporting each hood near each of its ends to render the structure rigid and well. braced.

The perpendicular or vertical rods are supported in angle brackets 19 attached at the inner sides of the side walls and rojectin toward the lon itudinal center 0 the cell, t ere being four rackets one for each rod. The u per end of each rod is threaded as at 20 an passed through an opening in its bracket, and the lock nuts 21, 21, below and above the bracket arm on the threaded red are utilized to secure the rod and bracket in rigid relationship. It will be apparent that by raising or lowering the rods with relation to their brackets and securing them in desired position by the clamping nuts, the hoods may be uniformly adjusted at a suitable level above their nozzles for the required purpose. 7

The mineral particles are carried ofi' from the surface of the contents of the cell to the launders, and the tailings or gangue is disposed of through the outlet pipe 22 leading from the bottom of the cel at its rear end, and the outlet opening to the pipe is controlled by a valve plug 23 adapted .to fit therein and controlled by a float 24:, on the surface of the pulp, connected to the valve plug by the connecting rod 25. Thus the water line or surface of the pulp is maintained at the required level by the action of the float 24, which rises with an excessof pulp in the cell and opens the valved outlet, and falls as the level of the pulp falls to close the opening, thus automatically controlling the contents of the cell and holding or maintaining the surface or water level at the requiredheight to be effective in the disposal of the articles of mineral being carried ed by t e flotation process.

The operation of the apparatus will be understood from the foregoing description taken in connection with the drawings, it being understood that the ground ore in the form of pulp is impregnated with oil in the receivin chamber and as it passes through the cel the currents of air emerging from the nozzles form air bubbles which pass from beneath the bottom of the hoods and down around their \sides, and as they ascend, these bubbles are coated with a film of oil to which the particles of 1mineral adhere and rise, to the surface with the bubbles. At the surface of the pulp the bubbles float oil to the sides of the cell and over the spillwayinto the launders, where they are received and proper disposition subsequently made of them.

As a means for overcoming the consider able swash and splash caused by the rapidly upward moving air bubbles ll prefer to dispose slightly below the water line a com-- paratively coarse mesh screen 26which will have a tendency to break up the upward draw of fluid and level it out over the entire area of the cell to eliminate undue move ment of-the water. 1 Having thus full described my invention, what I claim and esire to secure by Letters Patent is-' 1 1.-The combination with a cell of a multiplicity of nozzles arranged in pairs for air under pressure and projecting-upward through the bottom of the cell, and a series of inverted ll-shaped hoods over the nozzles in pairs, and adjustable supporting means for said hoods, for the purpose described.

2. The combinationwith a cell a multisupporting vertical rods attached to the plicity of nozzles arranged in pairs and probars, brackets supported in the cells to rejecting upward through the bottom of the ceive said rods, threaded ends on said rods, 10 cell for the introduction of air under presand lock nuts for holding the rods in ad- 5 sure, an inverted V-shaped hood for each justed position with relation to the brackets. pair of nozzles, a pair of spaced horizontal In testimony whereof I aflix my signature. bars attached to said hoods, pairs of spaced ARTHUR H. CONNORS. 

